Trades to Make: New England Patriots Edge Rusher Josh Uche

The NFL has seen several high-profile trades in recent weeks, but there's still time for teams to shake things up. In Trades to Make, we'll cover some of the best players who could be on the move before the November 5th trade deadline.

Edge Rusher Josh Uche

Edge rusher Josh Uche was once one of the New England Patriots' most promising young players, but he seems to have fallen out of favor with the organization in recent years. After breaking out for a surprising 11.5 sacks on only 374 defensive snaps in 2022, he has seen his opportunities dwindle and his production plummet. It's time for him to find a new home.

Uche is a slightly undersized (6'1", 245 lbs) edge rusher who has been used only on obvious passing downs so far in his career. Still, he's 26 years old, and the one-year, $3 million contract he's currently playing on makes him extremely tradeable. He could flourish on the right team.

Who should be interested?

NFL teams always need extra bodies in their defensive line rotations, but Uche belongs on a contending team that can force opposing offenses into pass-heavy game scripts. He may not hold up in the run game, but his explosiveness and quickness around the edge can help close games out. Given he's underperformed of late and he's set to hit free agency in 2025, he should be available for a late-round pick.

The Detroit Lions lost superstar edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken fibula and tibia in October, and they desperately need a replacement along the edge. Their offense also scores 30.3 points per game, third-best in the NFL, so they can keep their opponents playing catch-up. Uche could make the lives of opposing quarterbacks harder.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons are two teams in playoff contention that have struggled to generate sacks this year. The Falcons have notched an NFL-worst six quarterback takedowns in seven games. The Chiefs aren't much better, with only 10 sacks in six games. Both could benefit from a more potent pass rush.